I0t ILLVSTHATfOK OF MK. «6WAIlt)'« tMtOHV OV llAl^% 



XII. 



Observations in Itfustrailon of Mr. Howard's Theory of 

 Hairif In a Letter from TiloMAs FoiisxER, Bsq* 



To W. NICHOLSON, Esq. 



sm, 



.S the following observations tnay serve farther to illus- 

 trate Mr. Howard's ingenious Th<.^ry of Rain, (see hispapef 

 on the modification of clouds,) I shall request your insertion 

 of them in your scientific Journal. 

 Appearance of Q^ the I6th inst. the day was close and warm, in the 

 I8ih afternoon I observed several different modifications of cloud 



dispersed about in the atmosphere at different altitudes. 

 In some places cirro-stratus might be distinguished ; in 

 others, the clouds shewed a tendency to cirro-cumulative 

 aggregation, cumuli increased in density, and cirrot^e fibres 

 transversely crossed their summits, forming cumulo-straluSf 

 which like mountains transfixed by the mighty shafts of 

 giants appeared in the horizon, and represented a majestic 

 appearance ; while in other places the process of ninihifi- 

 cation appeared going on rapidly, and distant thunder was 

 heard. About six o'clock the sky, seen between the clouds 

 » under the descending sun, appeared of a very unusual brown- 



ish lake colour. As the evening advanced the mountainous 

 clouds in the horizon appeared of a deep blackish blue 

 colour, their edges as well as those of other detached clouds 

 above thera exhibiting a bright golden colour. Flocks of 

 cumulus floated along in the wind, and refracted dark lake 

 coloured light; by degrees all the clouds lost their distinc- 

 tive characters as separate r;;odifications, and became one 

 dense mass, which ended in rain during the night. 

 19tb^ Qn the. 19th it rained all the morning, but held up in the 



evening; the continuous sheet of cloud however remained, 

 notwithstanding a strong wind from the north. 

 andSOthof Early on the morning of the 20th the same uniform sheet 



*'* of cloud obscured the sky. As the day advanced it broke, 



and this dense sheet of nimbus, which had been origi- 

 nally formed by the collapse of several distinct modifi- 

 cation* 



